Signaling means for telephone recording apparatus



R. M. S'OMERS April- 4, 1950 Filed Oct; 31, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0 J h9 m U aw 6 5 r P Mam rw 4 5 HMM mm 5 u mm a m my 2 A Q 1 5A 5 5 A 9 4 v1 M10 2 6 4 w 6 7 5 m m 2 muh h, E T

' INVENTOR Richard. M5 omers Z ATTORNEY April 4, 1950 R. M. soMERs 72,503,176

SIGNALING MEANS'FOR TELEPHONE RECORDING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 51, 1946- 2Sheets-Sheet z INVENTOR Richard. M5 omers ATTORNEY I Patented Apr. 4,1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SIGNALING MEANS FOR TELEPHONE RECORDINGAPPARATUS Richard M. Somers, West Orange, N. J assignor to Thomas A.Edison,

Incorporated, West Orange, N. J a corporation of New Jersey ApplicationOctober 31, 1946, Serial No. 706,849

4 Claims.

signaling means which is controlled automatically to impress a suitablewarning signal. on a telephone line when the conversations transmittedOn that line are being recorded.

It is another object to render the signaling means effective, as anincident to placing the recording mechanism into effective condition forrecording telephone conversations.

It is another object to place concurrently both the recording mechanismand signaling means into efiective condition as an incident of using thetelephone apparatus.

It is another object, to place the signaling means into effectivecondition as an incident of selectively connecting a dictating machineto a telephone system. v

It is another object to provide novel and effective means for feedingthe warning signal into the telephone line. In this connection it is aparticular object to feed the warning signal to the telephone linethrough a pickup coil which is inductively coupled to the standardinduction coil of the telephone apparatus.

These and other objects andieatures of my invention will be apparentfrom the following description and the appended claims. I

In the description of my invention reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a view of circuits and mechanism showing one embodiment ofmy invention which employs a warning signal on a telephone line whilethe conversations on the line are being recorded; I

Figure 2 is a view showing a second embodiment of my invention; I

Figure 3 is a view showing a third embodiment of my invention; and

Figure 4 is a view illustrating an alternative form of my secondembodiment shown in Figure 2.

The embodiment of my invention shown Figure 1 comprises a phonographicmachine ID for recording conversations transmitted on a telephonesystem, and an adapter unit II for connecting the recording machine tothe telephone system and for signaling the users of the telephone systemwhen their conversations are being recorded. The telephone system isillustrated as comprising a telephone line l2 and a desk-type handcombination telephone set l3 which is connected in the usual way intothe telephone system by [cords M. In the present embodiment thetelephone I3 is considered as being the one used by the operator whodesires to record his telephone conversations; accordingly, thistelephone is coupled with the recording machine so that the latter isput automatically into operation as the telephone is used, as willhere,- inafter appear.

The recording machine I0 is preferably of a dictating machine type wellknown in the art. It may comprise a frame l5 carrying a journaledsupport H5 for a record I! (shown by way'of example as a mandrel-typesupport for a cylindrical record). Mounted on the frame for travelingmovement across the record is a record-co,- operating translating device[8. This translating device has the usual control lever l9 by which thedevice is shifted into neutral and recording is in turn [coupled to therecord support by a clutch 23. Also driven by the motor through gearing24 coupled to the record support is a feed screw 25 for moving thetranslating device across the record. This translating device isreleasably coupled to the feed screw by means well known in the artwhich neednot be herein described, it being only necessary to state thatthis coupling means is controlled by the lever l9 so that the couplingis in effective condition when the translating device is in a recordingcondition and is released when the device is in a neutral condition.

The clutch 23 is preferably operated by an electro-magnetic device 21 ofthe type disclosed in Langley Patent No. 1,380,486. This devicecomprises start and stop coils 28 and 29 and an armature 30 carrying aswitch pole member 3| which contacts the stop coil when the start coilis energized, and vice versa. The armature 30 is connected to a link 32and this link is in turn connected to a lever 33 Which is pivoted to theframe I5 and coupled to the movable element of the clutch. The controlcircuits for the clutchactuating device comprise a lead 34 from the pole3| to one side of a power line 35, a singlepole double-throw switch 36,a lead 31 from the pole of this switch to the other side of the powerline 35 and leads 38a and 38b from the stationary contacts 36a and 36bof this switch to the start and stop coils respectively.

The placing of the phonographic recording machine into efiectivecondition involves producing record rotation while the translatingdevice moan-cc"- connected insulatedly at 11 to the contact member 13.As the plug H is inserted into the jack 12 to connect the recordingmachine to the telephone line the switch 16 is closed. This switch isconnected serially in the power line 35 to the motor 20. Thus as therecording machine is connected to the telephone line the motor isautomatically started to place the record in rotation.

Preferably included also inthe unit'lO is an electric signaling device18 for producing a warning sound. A telephone set 19 of the telephonesystem is placed on or in the vicinity of the unit so that duringoperation of the telephone the hand microphone 19a will, pick up thewarning sound and impress it on the telephone line. This signalingdevice is connected in a power circuit 88 which serially includes aswitchf8l of a relay 82. This relay, like the relay 62 above described,has a long operate time and a relatively short release time. The relaymay for example be of an oil-dashpot type adapted for operation from anA.-C. line such as type Series DAC of the Automatic Electric Company.This circuit 88 and the actuating coil 83 of the relay 82 are connectedthrough the switch to the power line so that power is supplied to thesignaling means only while the plug H is connected to the jack 12. Sincethe switch 16 is closed to start record rotation as the plug is soconnected to the jack, it will be understood also that in this secondembodiment the signaling means is put into opera-' tion concurrently asthe phonograph is rendered effective to record telephone conversations.

In the embodiment of Figure 3 the input of the phonograph amplifier 53is connected through the cable 5| to a pickup coil 84 such, for example,as that disclosed in the Adams Patent No. 2,381,- 097 having a commonassignee with the present application. This pickup coil is placedadjacent to the standard induction coil 85 of a telephone system 86 soas to be electromagnetically coupled thereto. Through this coupling thevoice currents on the telephone line are fed to the,

an on-ofi control switch 81. Record rotation may be controlled manuallyeither by the switch 81 or by the clutch 23, it being understood thatthe latter is controlled manually bya suitable means as described in myfirst embodiment.

The signaling meansin this third embodiment comprises an interrupter 88connected in a circuit 89 which is coupled by a transformer 90 to theleads 5| running to the pickup 84. The circuit 89 is connected to thepower line 35 and serially includes the switch 8| of the relay 82 abovedescribed as well as a control switch 9i. Also, the actuating coil 83 ofthe relay 82 is connected to the power line 35 through the controlswitch 9 I. Since this switch 9| controls the power to the signalingsystem it constitutes an on-off switch for placing the signaling systeminto and out of operation.

During stand-by of the recording machine for telephone recording, theamplifier 53 is coupled to the telephone system and the record I! isrotating; however, the translating device is normally left in a neutralposition. When it is desired to record from the telephone line thetranslating device 18 is shifted into recording position by the leverI9. In order that the signaling means will be rendered efiectiveconcurrently as the recording machine is put into operation, the switch9! is coupled by mechanical means 92 (diagrammatically shown) to thelever l9 so that this switch will be closed as the translating device isplaced in recording position and opened as the device is returned toneutral position.

When the signaling means is thus put into op-,

eration, itieeds a warning signal over the line 5| to the pickup coil,which signal is impressed on the telephone line in view of this pickupcoil being closely magnetically coupled to the induction coil 85 of thetelephone system.

In Figure 4 there is shown diagrammatically an embodiment which is amodification of my second embodiment shown in Figure 2. In this.modified embodiment, all necessary control operations are produced bythrowing a unitary multiple switch 92. This switch has a neutralposition, a second position for dictation recording and a third positionfor telephone recording. The switch comprises four pole members 93, 94,95 and 96 which are mechanically interconnected for simultaneousoperation but are electrically insulated from one another. Associatedwith each of these pole members are three contacts referred to by thereference numeral of the respective pole member with the suiiix letters0, d and t. For example, associated with the pole member 93 are thecontacts 930, 93d and 93L The contacts with the suffix letter 0 are allidle and are engaged by the respective pole members When the switch 92is in neutral position. The contacts with the sufliX letter d arecontacted by the respective pole members when the switch 92 is inadictation-recording position and the contacts with the suffix letter tare contacted and telephone-recording positions.

The pole 98 is connected to one side of the power line 35 and theassociated contacts 96d and 9825 are tied together and connected to oneof the terminals of the motor 20, the other terminal of the motor beingconnected to the other 1 side of the power line 35. Thus, the pole 96and .the start coil of the clutch-actuating device 21.

The pole of switch 36 is normally closed with, the lead 381) that runsto the stop coil of the:

nected to the stop coil.

accordingly, upon throwing the switch 36 from its normal stop positionto a start position thestart coil is energized to engage the clutch.Vice" versa, upon releasing the switch 36 the stop coil. is energized todisengage the clutch. When the.- switch 92 is thrown however totelephone-recorw ascents;

ing position, power-islsuppliedmdirectly to the start circuit of theclutch-actuatingdevice-21 by way of the po1e:95,.\contact 95t, lead 98,andiead 38a so as to cause engagement "Of-:th6..?C1utCh..' Since themotor is started by theupoletfi when.

the. switch 92 is thrown into telephone-recording position, thisengagement of the clutch 23. will cause the record to ?be':started..

The pole 93 of the-switch 921s sgroundedatQS'. The associated contact93d is idle butrthe cone tacti93t is connected iby-a lead lflll toasignaling device 10 I. This signaling device may comprise theinterrupter SI -and relay "62 connected "as illustrated in Figure 1 or"it may comprise any suitable electronic signaling means adapted toproduce intermittent signals of suitable tre quency. In either case, itmayhave an output circuit 462 of which one leadis groundedat 13 and theother is connected-to the telephoneline -at lfl'4, and it may have-"ap0wer-supply circuit comprising a lead ")5 connecting tothe Bsupplyinthe'amplifier 53 and another lead which is thelead [00'abovementioned. Accordingly, when the switch =92 'is in neutral anddictationrecording positions, the signaling device Ill-i is notin-operation but when the switch is thrownto a telephone-recordingposition the signaling and not-limitative of my-invention as the same.are subject to changes and imo'dificationswith out departure fromthescope-of myinvention which 'I endeavor to -eXpI'ESs QCCOPding to thefollowing claims;

I claim:

1. In combination with-a telephone system including a station "having ahand microphone and asuppor't for holding said microphone when the sameis not in use :-'-a phonographic mecha-- nism for recording speechtransmitted over said telephone system: control me'ans atsaid stationadapted-for placing said phonographi'c recordingmechanism into effectiveconditionirrespective l of the:- condition of thetelephonesystemvbeyondsaid-station, said control means being associated with saidsupporttocause -the same to be ope'r ated" as anincident ofremoving-saidhandmioro-- phone therefromyanda warning signaling meanscontrolled by said control means to causeja warning signal to-be fedinto .saidtelephone' systemonly when saidhand microphone isremoved-irom. said support;

2;: Incombination. with a wtelephone system including. a .stationxhavinga -1hand imicrophone and a support for holding said microphone when .1the same is not: iniusez; a, ph0nog1'aphicImecha-.

nism for recording speech transmitted :over "said telephonesystem," saidphonographic recording mechanismincludir'ig :a rotatable carrier for arecord and arecord-cooperatingtranslatin de'-' vicelplaceableselectively into recording and neutral conditions in relation toairecorid'mounted onwsaid .carrier; control means :atnsaid s'tation'adapted for: placing said translating device into recording conditionirrespective of the condition ofthe telephonesystem-beyond said station;and

.a warning signaling meansoperatively coupled toxsaid control means tocause a warning signal tobefed into said telephone system Whenever saidtranslating device is inrecordin -condition.

3. In combination with a telephone system including a station having ahand microphone and a support'for holding-said microphone when the sameis not in use: a phonograph-ic mechanism for recording speechtransmitted over said telephone system; control means at said station 7adapted for 'placing'said phonographic recording mechanism intoeffective condition irrespective of. the condition of the telephonesystem beyond said station; and-a sound-signalingmeans, renderedeifective'by said control means as the same is operated to render saidrecording mechanism eite'ctivasfor transmitting a sound-"signal to saidhand microphone to' be picked up thereby and fed into said telephonesystem when the hand microphone is off 'said su-pport;

A. ln combination with atele'phone system: a

phonographic mechanism for recording speech transmitted over-saidtelephone system; a plugjack connector for connecting said recordingmechanism to said telephone-system; a signaling means adapted forfeeding a warning signal to said :telephone system' while-the system "isin use; and an electrical control :device electrically independent ofsaid telephone system and mechanically associated with said .ijackandmoved by .-::said pl-ugas the latteris-inserted into said jackforrendering saidsignaling means operative and for concurrently startingoperation"ofsaid'recording mechanism.

RICHARD "'SOMERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of "record in the file ofthis-patent:

UNiTE D STATES .PATEN'IS Number Name Date 1,548,028 Eg'erton Aug. 4,1925 117803919 Holland Nov. .11, 1930' 1,845,034. Biclcelh-aupt -nueneFeb. 16, 1932 2,0051788 Kaiser June-=25, 1935 2,278,828 ChiardiaApr.'7,'1942 2,319,665 Dobrzensky. May 18, 194-3

